United States: American IT workers replaced by Indian manpower take Walt Disney to court

Two former IT employees at the Walt Disney Park in Orlando, Florida are taking their former employer to court for having replaced them with young Indian workers residing in the United States working on H1B visas. The two former employees are calling their replacement illegal since the H1B visa is intended to bring in foreign workers when there is no qualified U.S. worker available. The lawyer for the complainants who were laid off in 2014 fully intends to modify the complaint into a ‘class action’ because in fact all 250 professionals in the Walt Disney IT team in Orlando were laid off.
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

The two ex-Disney workers are denouncing the ‘illegality’ of the procedure Disney used to lay them off. Disney relied on two expert outsourcing companies, HCL and Cognizant, who had young recruits relocate to the U.S. on H1B working visas. These highly prized visas come attached with a condition. Congress wanted any foreigners admitted into the U.S. to hold “special qualifications” that U.S. workers did not hold. The visas were in no sense meant to impact ‘the working conditions of American emp

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
TRENDS IN 2026 — Reducing workplace absence at all costs: a major challenge for Europe
Workplace absence is on the rise across Europe, particularly among women, older employees and, since the Covid-19 pandemic, young people under the age of 30. Faced with this growing problem, some...
14 January 2026
Italy: banking group Intesa Sanpaolo sharpens focus on quality of life at work
Over the Christmas period Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy's largest bank, penned with trade unions a deal to renew the first part of the company agreement, covering work-life balance, inclusion, parenthood...
14 January 2026
Vincent Lecerf (Orange): “Equality and diversity are competitive advantages for us”
Following the signing of a new agreement on professional equality and diversity in December, the chief HR officer of French multinational telecommunications corporation Orange Group, Vincent...
13 January 2026
United Kingdom: government urged to legislate against forced labour
After consulting victims, businesses and NGOs, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) has published a report showing that the UK is lagging behind in the fight against forced labour. The...
13 January 2026
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
EU: social partners in telecoms sign joint statement on AI
On 16 December, the social partners in Europe's telecommunications sector unveiled a joint statement on artificial intelligence. They propose an action plan for skills and commit to raising...
18 December 2025
2
Italy: collective agreement for rubber and plastics sector focuses on new skills
A month ahead of schedule, the Federazione Gomma Plastica employers' organisation and the Filctem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl and Uiltec trade unions have renewed the collective agreement for the rubber and...
5 January 2026
3
France: social partner talks extend far beyond contractual terminations
After a false start on 3 December, French social partners resumed talks on 7 January 2026 on potential changes to the unemployment insurance agreement, including the rules governing compensation...
12 January 2026
4
Italy: banking group Intesa Sanpaolo sharpens focus on quality of life at work
Over the Christmas period Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy's largest bank, penned with trade unions a deal to renew the first part of the company agreement, covering work-life balance, inclusion, parenthood...
14 January 2026